Fox Ridge Aviation
Fox Ridge Aviation (IATA: FR / ICAO: FRA) 'is a privately owned and operated flight service based out of Sitka, Alaska. Run by XB-029, Fox Ridge is predominantly a cargo airline, but also has some light passenger service. The company also operated a SAR division, Fox Ridge Search & Rescue, that responded to distress calls in and around the area of Sitka (though these operations were integrated within the primary Fox Ridge operating spectrum in January 2020). XB-029 frequently flies one of Fox Ridge's aircraft, but occasionally can be seen flying several other types. 'History Fox Ridge Aviation was created on August 27, 2019, when three smaller air services combined under one name. These companies included MissionAIR, Sitka Air Taxi, and Alaska Panhandle Cargo. Pre-Merger: MissionAIR MissionAIR was the name under which a DHC-6 Twin Otter (G-BVVK) operated from 2005 to 2019. This aircraft carried missionaries to many small villages and towns throughout southern Alaska, and was well maintained by the crew. However, the company ran into financial troubles and would have had to have closed if it had not been drawn into the merger agreement to form Fox Ridge. G-BVVK still flies with Fox Ridge, and still carries missionaries to wherever they need to go in the state. Pre-Merger: Sitka Air Taxi Sitka Air Taxi was a scheduled flight service operating two light aircraft between Sitka, Juneau, and Ketchikan, as well as several smaller costal towns in the nearby area. Unfortunately, the two planes operated by Sitka Air Taxi were both lost in August 2019, one on the 6th and the other eleven days later. The first aircraft crashed as a result of an in-flight fire (all survived, though with a few serious injuries), and the second due to a near-collision with another aircraft when landing at Sitka, resulting in the plane veering off the runway, through a fence, and into the harbor. All passengers survived, though one was taken to the hospital. Pre-Merger: Alaska Panhandle Cargo Alaska Panhandle Cargo was a small cargo operation, similar to how Fox Ridge currently operates. This company operated two AN-140 type aircraft, one of them being UR-14002 (the other aircraft, UR-16055, was damaged beyond repair when it suffered a landing gear collapse under a full load when landing in Anchorage). Alaska Panhandle Cargo was on the edge of bankruptcy when the merger deal was proposed, and the owners readily agreed to the idea. Post-Merger: Fox Ridge Aviation After the merger, the first official Fox Ridge flight was undertaken by the DHC-6 Twin Otter G-BVVK, and it consisted of a short hop to Juneau and back with relatively light cargo and no passengers. Since then, the company has been actively expanding, purchasing several new aircraft (and selling a few as well), and creating a SAR division, Fox Ridge Search & Rescue (now defunct). Fox Ridge currently flies cargo and some passengers to a variety of destinations in southern Alaska, as well as a few destinations in Canada on occasion (though these are unscheduled flights and not listed on the regular destination log). Fox Ridge has recently acquired a Douglas DC-3, and is also looking to purchase at least 1 Bristol Brabazon when they become available in late 2020 or early 2021. FRA currently operates two DHC-6 Twin Otters, two J3 Cubs, and the aforementioned Douglas DC-3, as well as an Alisport Silent 2 Electro powered glider used for observation or sightseeing flights in the vicinity. Flight Designations Original The original Fox Ridge flight designation format consisted of the airline's ICAO designation followed by a three-digit number string. For example, a Fox Ridge aircraft may have announced itself as "FRA flight 272", or simply "FRA 272". This system is outdated and no longer used by Fox Ridge Aviation. Revised The current Fox Ridge flight designation format is simply the aircraft registration, followed by the area where the aircraft is taking off or landing (if applicable). For example, a common transmission from a Fox Ridge would follow a format similar to "Fox Ridge registration departing location now on of flight." This change was implemented in January 2020, when Fox Ridge Aviation made the decision to switch from a rigidly scheduled flight list to a less structured one, with all destinations becoming unscheduled (but serviced at least three times a month). Destinations Fox Ridge Aviation has a large number of unscheduled destinations for such a small airline, but not all aircraft can land at all airports. Fox Ridge does not currently operate a rigidly scheduled destination or flight list, but all destinations are served in a timely manner. A list of airports and the aircraft that can land there is below. (Note: N746B is not listed here as it is not used for income-generating flights.) Current Aircraft Fox Ridge Aviation currently owns six aircraft; two de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otters, two Piper J-3 Cubs, and a Douglas DC-3, as well as an Alisport Silent 2 Electro. The Twin Otters retain British registration numbers as they were operated under temporary British registration in the US, and the registrations have continued to be renewed. All other aircraft operate under United States registration numbers, however. Fox Ridge also desires to purchase a Bristol Brabazon and Boeing 737 (the latter from WestJet) at some point in the future. G-BVVK G-BVVK is a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter owned and operated by Fox Ridge Aviation. This aircraft was acquired on 27 August 2018 from MissionAIR as a result of the merger agreement, and was flown in Fox Ridge's first official flight as detailed above. It is based at Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport (PASI Sitka). This aircraft is primarily used for multipurpose cargo transport and occasionally passenger ferrying, but also operates as the backup search-and-rescue plane in the event that the second Twin Otter (G-FLY) is not available. This plane is often simply referred to as Otter 1. N147G N147G was the first aircraft owned by XB-029 and has since become integrated into the Fox Ridge Aviation search-and-rescue division. The aircraft is a 1943 Piper J3 Cub, with the classic Cub Yellow paint scheme. The aircraft flies in support of SAR operations as an observation plane, and though it can land nearly anywhere and provide aid, it cannot take on passengers due to its small size and lack of a second seat. As such, neither N147G or N621A are flown for cargo-carrying purposes, instead they serve as spotter aircraft and quick personal transportation. In 1980, the aircraft logs indicate that it was overhauled and returned to "Factory" condition after sitting neglected at a small backwater airport in northern Alaska. The aircraft was offered for sale and purchased by XB-029 and occasionally flown. In early 2018, the aircraft was integrated into what would become Fox Ridge Aviation at Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport, the airline's fleet then consisting of a single Twin Otter (which was lost shortly after in a crash). N147G is not explicitly owned by FRA, instead being privately operated by XB-029. N621A N621A is the other J3 Cub owned by Fox Ridge Aviation, and is painted in a snappy red color scheme with the characteristic Cub thunderbolt down the side. The aircraft was purchased new from Cub Crafters in Washington State on 2 December 2019, and is one of Fox Ridge's most recent aircraft. The plane was one of Cub Crafters' J3 models based on the original Piper design, though with improved and modernized avionics. A more powerful engine was fitted to counter the extra weight of internal wing tanks, allowing N621A the ability to remain aloft for extended periods of time during a SAR operation. Like N147G, the red Cub is used often, and is very carefully maintained for this reason. G-FLY G-FLY is the second of two de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters flown by Fox Ridge Aviation. This aircraft started out as RCAF 804, and was purchased from an RCAF aircraft auction on 22 November 2019. Fox Ridge refurbished the interior of the plane, adding several first aid kits throughout the fuselage as well as installing a portable oxygen generator and AED unit, fully equipping the plane for any immediate medical attention required by rescued survivors. G-FLY is now Fox Ridge's primary SAR aircraft, and is the most frequently flown plane in their inventory. This aircraft has the highest priority in the maintenance hangar, and on occasion parts have been borrowed from Fox Ridge's other Twin Otter, G-BVVK, in order to keep G-FLY prepared and ready at all times. This aircraft is often called simply Otter 2. N356XM ''This aircraft was built as a Douglas C-47 aircraft in 1943 and given the serial number of 43-32582 on acceptance by the USAAF. The aircraft was utilized as a multipurpose transport, usually ferrying cargo and personell to and from the front lines. On June 6, 1944, 43-32582 was supposed to have participated in dropping paratroopers onto the Normandy beaches to supplement the D-Day landings, but experienced engine trouble while waiting for its turn in line to take off. The aircraft was taxied back to the parking area under one engine (as the other had showed signs of cylinder malfunction and was shut down), and the parajumpers were transferred to another plane. 43-32582 was operational again after a rapid engine change, but by this time the assault was already underway. As it had no paratroopers to deploy over the battle, the aircraft was not sent to the front lines and returned to its former duty of cargo ferrying. The aircraft served in this role until the end of the war, and was offered for sale in 1946. The aircraft was purchased by Douglas Aircraft (the original manufacturer) for conversion to a DC-3C, as were many other military C-47s. The aircraft, now given a civil registration of N134S, was offered for sale. For the next three decades, it passed through many different owners and received several modifications along the way. The C-47 style cargo door was reincorporated into the rear fuselage, an underwing lighting system was added (and then removed some time later) allowing the entire lower wing to essentially function as a "flying billboard", extra fuel tanks were added in the wings, and the landing gear was beefed up with the addition of heavier shocks and slightly larger tires (the wheel wells and axle supporting structure would not permit much variation in the tire size). Now registered as N95WU, the aircraft was involved in a ground incident in 1992 at Hillsboro Airport, Oregon. The pilot lost control on takeoff and veered off the runway, cutting through the grass before impacting a stationary, unoccupied Robinson helicopter. The helo was destroyed, and the DC-3 sustained substantial damage, including to the lower nose and fuselage as well as both main landing gear legs. Rather than paying for damages, the owner simply abandoned the plane. The aircraft was eventually reclaimed by the airport due to the accumulated parking fees and was towed to an empty hangar where it sat for several years before being purchased and restored to full airworthiness in 1997. The aircraft was re-registered as N859XN and flown to many locations for over two decades, until it wound up at Anchorage where it was placed for sale in late 2019. Fox Ridge Aviation purchased the DC-3C on January 7, 2020 with funds from the recent sale of UR-14002, and it was re-registered as N356XM. The aircraft is flown regularly, and has allowed Fox Ridge to greatly expand their list of destinations due to the increased range of the aircraft. It can carry more than twice the load capacity of the Twin Otter, and as such is also used for moving heavy freight to remote airports. '''N746B' N746B is an Alisport Silent 2 Electro powered glider purchased by Fox Ridge Aviation on 10 February 2020. This aircraft is used as a fun flyer by Fox Ridge off-duty pilots, as well as a light scouting aircraft. For example, if a downed aircraft report is received by Fox Ridge, N746B would be deployed along with one or both Cubs (and possibly the Twin Otter if the situation is critical, e.g. if the pilot has severe injuries or there were multiple passengers on the aircraft) to conduct a search of the area. Due to the characteristics of the aircraft, including the electric motor, it is capable of travelling a substantial distance, but this is usually impractical due to the low cruising speed. Fox Ridge Aviation technicians plan to modify the upper wing surfaces of the Electro to incorporate solar arrays to allow for increased battery life, but when this will be implemented is not currently known. N746B serves no cargo purpose (due to the fact that it is a glider), but can easily be used as a search aircraft. Unfortunately, because of the lightweight fiberglass construction, the aircraft is not capable of safe flight in even moderate weather, requiring winds under 15 knots and minimal precipitation. This limits the aircraft's usefulness, but it still performs satisfactorily in both the ground search and high-altitude observation roles. 'Former Aircraft' G-ZCIB (Crashed) G-ZCIB was a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter purchased from FlyBe in a surplus aircraft sale, just prior to the formation of Fox Ridge Aviation. The aircraft was ferried to Sitka where it was used as a light cargo and passenger aircraft by MissionAIR (in a similar way to how G-BVVK is currently operated by Fox Ridge). Unfortunately, G-ZCIB was lost in a crash after an aborted landing approach due to high winds. The aircraft impacted a mountain and broke apart, but miraculously the crew survived. The wreckage was abandoned, as the cost of salvage and repair exceeded the cost of replacement. G-BVVK became the only Fox Ridge Twin Otter until G-FLY was purchased. UR-14002 (Sold to Jak Rabbit Air) UR-14002 was an Antonov AN-140 converted to cargo standards, with a large rear ramp and reinforced floors. However, the aircraft had multiple instances of power loss and occasionally total failure, resulting in various degrees of damage to the aircraft (including a particularly nasty crash landing on 19 November which put the aircraft out of service for nearly a month while intensive repairs were undertaken). This incident cost Fox Ridge over a million dollars to fully repair the AN-140). The aircraft was stored in a side hangar at Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport until its purchase by Jak Rabbit Air on December 13, 2019. UR-14002 was flown to Boston Logan International for delivery to Jak Rabbit the next day. FLD-A3 (Sold to the State of Ohio) FLD-A3 was a 747-8 cargo aircraft co-owned by Cathay Pacific Cargo and Fox Ridge. The aircraft was based at Kingsford Smith International Airport (YSSY Sydney) due to runway restrictions at Sitka Rocky Gutierrez (PASI), and was Fox Ridge's only aircraft permanently stationed at a different location. The 747 frequently flew a trans-Pacific cargo route between Sydney and Anchorage, and was the aircraft used during the "Pine Tree Express" mission (detailed in "Special Operations" section). The 747's engines had been extensively modified by Fox Ridge and Cathay Pacific technicians, with the General Electric GEnx powerplants being replaced with uprated GE90 units developed for the Boeing 777. This gave FLD-A3 the ability to cruise at higher speeds with better fuel consumption. In December 2019, the aircraft underwent an intensive maintenance period resulting in higher engine performance with a lower failure rate. The aircraft's reliability had therefore improved drastically. Soon after this took place, FLD-A3 was placed for sale, as Cathay Pacific had backed out of the co-ownership deal and it made no economical sense to Fox Ridge to continue operating such a large aircraft. FLD-A3 was sold to the State of Ohio on 6 January 2019, and a ferry flight to Cleveland took place later that day. The aircraft will be repurposed as a high-speed, high-capacity governmental transport and used frequently. Special Operations November 19, 2019 - AN-140 Rescue G-BVVK and both J3 Cubs were launched to aid the rescue of Fox Ridge's UR-14002, which had lost all power while preparing for landing approach to Sitka and had made a forced landing on Partofshikof Island, on the north end of Sitka Sound. The crew were rescued successfully by G-BVVK while the Cubs provided overhead coverage and monitored the operation's progress from above. All three aircraft returned to Sitka, and UR-14002 was salvaged and returned a few days later. The aircraft required over $1,000,000 in repairs, including repairing damage to the inner wings, center, and tail sections, as well as total replacement of the extreme nose section, outer wings and control surfaces, as well as landing gear, engines and propellers. December 3, 2019 - "Pine Tree Express" Fox Ridge Aviation's 747-8 flew on a special mission from Anchorage to Sydney. Arriving in Anchorage early in the morning, the aircraft was then loaded with approximately 650 evergreen trees bound for Sydney, to be used for the holidays. Under the moniker "Pine Tree Express", the aircraft returned to Sydney, landing late in the day and offloading the trees. This was the aircraft's last mission of 2019, and it was hangared for engine overhaul and to remove pine needles found throughout the interior. December 8, 2019 - Speed Record The Twin Otter dive speed record of 530 knots, held by Armageddon, was shattered by XB-029 piloting G-BVVK. After climbing to approximately 66,500 feet in a borrowed F-16, the player assumed control of Fox Ridge Aviation's Twin Otter #1 (NOTE: XB-029 did not enter an altitude record for the Twin Otter, as the height was reached using another aircraft). Passing through 30,000 feet, the airspeed indicator showed an astonishing 619 knots. The aircraft recovered from the dive at approximately 5,000 feet, and proceeded to land at PASI where it was thoroughly inspected before being parked in the hangar. December 13, 2019 - UR-14002 Ferry Flight After UR-14002's purchase order was laid out and agreed upon, the aircraft was flown from Sitka to Boston Logan International for delivery to Jak Rabbit Air. The plane performed well on the flight, and the only stops were made for refueling at Portland International and Dayton International Airports. The aircraft arrived in Boston and was cleared for landing immediately due to a break in commercial traffic. The plane landed and taxied to the Delta Air Cargo terminal, where it was handed over to Jak Rabbit. The aircraft was purchased for a sum of $8,200,000. These funds helped keep current Fox Ridge aircraft operating, as well as paying for a new DC-3 aircraft in early 2020. 'January 6, 2019 - FLD-A3 Delivery' After Fox Ridge's 747 was placed for sale, the government of Ohio realized they needed a new long-range transport aircraft. They responded to the advertisement, and a purchase agreement was quickly drawn up. The aircraft was purchased for the asking price of $350 million USD, though the original unmodified engines were not included in the agreement and were sold later. FLD-A3 was flown nonstop from Anchorage, Alaska to Cleveland, Ohio where it was transferred into the hands of the Ohio government. The aircraft performed satisfactorially during the flight, and no issues were encountered with weather or delays. The aircraft arrived in Ohio at approximately 19:20 local time. Honorary Members See Also Fox Ridge Search & Rescue (Defunct) XB-029__FORCETOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NONEWSECTIONLINK__ Category:Airline Category:Civilian Group Category:Fox Ridge Category:Cargo Airline